Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich
Born	Newton Leroy McPherson 17 6, 1943
Birthplace	Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, author, political consultant, historian
Known for	50th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; co-author of the Contract with America
Education	Tulane University (MA, PhD)
Children	2
Awards	Time Man of the Year (1995)

Newton Leroy Gingrich (né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician, author, and political consultant who served as the 50th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, Gingrich represented Georgia's 6th congressional district—covering north Atlanta and surrounding suburban areas—in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 until his resignation in 1999. Before entering politics, he taught history and geography at what is now the University of West Georgia. Gingrich rose to national prominence as the principal architect of the "Contract with America," a legislative agenda that helped propel the Republican Party to its first House majority in four decades during the 1994 midterm elections. As Speaker, he oversaw significant legislative activity, including welfare reform and a capital gains tax cut, but his tenure was also marked by government shutdowns and an ethics reprimand from the House. After a disappointing Republican showing in the 1998 elections, Gingrich declined to seek another term as Speaker and resigned from Congress. He remained a fixture in conservative politics, founding policy organizations, publishing numerous books, and mounting an unsuccessful campaign for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. In subsequent years, Gingrich became a prominent supporter and adviser to Donald Trump.

Early Life

Newton Leroy McPherson was born on June 17, 1943, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His mother, Kathleen "Kit" Daugherty, was a teenager when she married Newton Searles McPherson. The marriage was brief, and Kit subsequently married Robert Gingrich, a career U.S. Army officer, who legally adopted Newton. The young Gingrich grew up in a military family, and Robert Gingrich's career took the family to various posts in the United States and abroad, including a period stationed in Europe.

Gingrich has spoken publicly about how living overseas as a young man—particularly a visit to the Battle of Verdun site in France—shaped his interest in history, politics, and the consequences of war and failed governance. This formative experience, he has stated, contributed to his lifelong interest in military history and national security policy.

Gingrich has a maternal half-sibling, Candace Gingrich, who became known as an LGBT rights activist.

Education

Gingrich earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He continued his graduate education at Tulane University in New Orleans, where he earned both a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy in modern European history.

Following the completion of his doctorate, Gingrich joined the faculty of what was then West Georgia College (now the University of West Georgia), where he taught history and geography during the 1970s. His academic career provided a foundation in historical analysis and public policy that he later applied extensively in his political career.

In September 2025, Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base awarded Gingrich an honorary degree, recognizing his contributions as a politician, historian, and author.

Career

Early Congressional Career (1979–1989)

Gingrich first ran for Congress from Georgia's 6th congressional district in 1974 and again in 1976, losing both times. He won election on his third attempt in November 1978, becoming the first Republican ever elected to represent the district. He succeeded Democrat John Flynt, who had retired from the seat.

Upon entering the House of Representatives in January 1979, Gingrich quickly distinguished himself as an aggressive and combative Republican backbencher. At a time when the Democratic Party held an overwhelming majority in the House—a dominance that had lasted continuously since the 1954 elections—Gingrich positioned himself as an insurgent voice within the Republican caucus, frequently challenging both Democrats and what he viewed as an accommodationist leadership style among his own party's senior members.

During the 1980s, Gingrich became known for his use of televised proceedings on C-SPAN to deliver speeches aimed at a national audience, often speaking to a nearly empty chamber after regular legislative business had concluded. These "special order" speeches became a vehicle for Gingrich to build a national profile and to criticize Democratic policies and leadership. He co-founded the Conservative Opportunity Society, a group of like-minded Republican members who sought to move the party in a more confrontational and ideologically conservative direction.

One of Gingrich's most consequential early actions was his role in filing ethics charges against Democratic Speaker Jim Wright in 1988. Wright ultimately resigned from the House in 1989 amid the resulting investigation, an episode that both elevated Gingrich's stature among Republicans and intensified partisan tensions in the chamber.

House Minority Whip (1989–1995)

In March 1989, Gingrich was elected House Minority Whip, the second-ranking position in the Republican caucus, succeeding Dick Cheney, who had been appointed Secretary of Defense by President George H. W. Bush. Gingrich served as whip under Republican Leader Robert H. Michel of Illinois.

As whip, Gingrich continued to build the organizational and strategic infrastructure that he believed could deliver a Republican majority. He cultivated a network of Republican candidates and allied political action committees, helping to recruit and fund challengers in districts previously considered safe for Democrats. His political action committee, GOPAC, became an influential vehicle for training and supporting Republican candidates at both the state and federal levels.

The Contract with America and the 1994 Election

Gingrich's role as a co-author and principal architect of the "Contract with America" stands as one of the defining episodes of his political career. Released on September 27, 1994, approximately six weeks before the November midterm elections, the Contract was a document signed by nearly all Republican House candidates. It outlined specific legislation that Republicans pledged to bring to a vote on the House floor within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress if they won the majority.

The Contract included proposals on topics such as welfare reform, tax cuts, term limits for committee chairs, tort reform, a balanced budget amendment, and increased defense spending. It represented an effort to nationalize the midterm election around a unified Republican platform, a strategy that was unusual for House campaigns, which had traditionally been driven by local issues and individual candidacies.

The 1994 midterm elections resulted in a sweeping Republican victory. The party gained 54 seats in the House and 8 seats in the Senate, giving Republicans control of both chambers of Congress for the first time since 1954. The scale of the victory was attributed in significant part to Gingrich's strategy and organizational efforts. Time magazine named Gingrich its "Man of the Year" for 1995, citing "his role in ending the four-decades-long Democratic majority in the House."

Speaker of the House (1995–1999)

Gingrich was elected Speaker of the House on January 4, 1995, succeeding Democrat Tom Foley, who had lost his own re-election bid in the 1994 wave. As Speaker, Gingrich served simultaneously as the leader of the House Republican Conference.

Legislative Achievements

During Gingrich's speakership, the House passed several significant pieces of legislation. The most prominent included the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996, a major welfare reform bill that replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant system. President Bill Clinton signed the bill into law after vetoing two earlier versions.

In 1997, Gingrich oversaw House passage of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, which included a reduction in the capital gains tax rate. The act also created education tax credits and expanded Individual Retirement Account options.

Government Shutdowns

Gingrich played a central role in the federal government shutdowns of late 1995 and early 1996. The shutdowns resulted from an impasse between congressional Republicans and the Clinton administration over the federal budget, with Republicans seeking significant cuts in spending, particularly in entitlement programs, and Clinton resisting those reductions.

The first shutdown lasted from November 14 to November 19, 1995, and the second from December 16, 1995, to January 6, 1996—a total of 27 days, at the time the longest federal shutdown in history. Public opinion polling during the period generally assigned more blame to congressional Republicans than to President Clinton, and the shutdowns are considered by many political analysts to have weakened the Republican position in subsequent budget negotiations.

In 2025, Gingrich publicly commented on the prospect of another government shutdown, stating his view that Democrats "don't have what it takes" to prevail in such a confrontation under the political conditions of that period.

Impeachment of Bill Clinton

In 1998, Gingrich led the House Republican effort to impeach President Bill Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice arising from the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal. The House voted largely along party lines to approve two articles of impeachment in December 1998. Clinton was subsequently acquitted by the Senate in February 1999.

Ethics Reprimand

Gingrich's speakership was also marked by an ethics investigation that resulted in a formal reprimand from the House. In January 1997, the House voted 395–28 to reprimand Gingrich and impose a $300,000 penalty—the first time a sitting Speaker had been disciplined in this manner. The charges centered on Gingrich's use of tax-exempt organizations for political purposes and his provision of inaccurate information to the House Ethics Committee during its investigation.

Resignation

The 1998 midterm elections produced an unexpected result for Republicans. Despite the Clinton impeachment proceedings, which many Republicans expected to energize their base, the party lost five House seats—a rare occurrence for the party not holding the presidency in a midterm year. The disappointing showing, combined with the lingering effects of the ethics reprimand and internal dissatisfaction among Republican members, led to an internal revolt against Gingrich's leadership.

Facing a challenge to his speakership from within the Republican caucus, Gingrich announced on November 6, 1998, that he would not seek re-election as Speaker and would resign from the House entirely. He left office on January 3, 1999, the same day his term as Speaker formally ended. He was succeeded as Speaker by Dennis Hastert of Illinois.

Post-Congressional Career

Policy Organizations and Consulting

After leaving Congress, Gingrich established himself as a political consultant, author, and public policy commentator. He founded and chaired several organizations, including American Solutions for Winning the Future, a policy advocacy group, and the Center for Health Transformation, which focused on healthcare policy.

Gingrich also worked as a consultant in the private sector. Reports emerged during his 2012 presidential campaign that he had received consulting fees from Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgage corporation, totaling approximately $1.6 million between 1999 and 2008. Gingrich characterized his role as that of a historian providing strategic advice, though critics questioned the nature and extent of the consulting arrangement.

2012 Presidential Campaign

Gingrich formally entered the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, a contest that also featured Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, and several other candidates. Gingrich was considered a potential frontrunner at various points during the primary season, drawing on his national name recognition, debating ability, and reputation as a policy intellectual within the Republican Party.

Gingrich achieved a notable victory in the South Carolina primary in January 2012, fueled in part by strong debate performances. However, he was unable to sustain momentum in subsequent primaries and caucuses, and the Romney campaign's superior organizational and financial resources proved decisive over time.

Gingrich withdrew from the race in May 2012 and endorsed Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee. Romney went on to lose the general election to incumbent President Barack Obama.

Alliance with Donald Trump

In the years following his 2012 campaign, Gingrich became an early and prominent supporter of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. He was reportedly among the finalists on Trump's short list for vice presidential running mate, though Trump ultimately selected Mike Pence.

Gingrich served as a frequent surrogate and informal adviser to Trump throughout the 2016 campaign and the subsequent Trump presidency. He appeared regularly on Fox News and other media outlets to defend and promote the Trump administration's policies.

Since the 2020 presidential election, Gingrich has publicly supported Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud and his characterization of the election as having been stolen, assertions that have been rejected by election officials, courts, and independent fact-checkers across the country.

As of 2025, Gingrich continues to be active as a Fox News contributor and political commentator, offering analysis on Republican strategy, fiscal policy, and immigration. In early 2025, he called for a "national conversation" on the status of immigrants lacking permanent legal status who otherwise comply with the law.

Personal Life

Gingrich has been married three times. His first marriage, to Jackie Battley, his former high school geometry teacher, ended in divorce in 1981. He married Marianne Ginther in 1981; that marriage also ended in divorce in 2000. Gingrich married Callista Bisek in 2000. He has two daughters from his first marriage.

Gingrich converted to Roman Catholicism in 2009, the faith of his third wife, Callista. Callista Gingrich later served as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See from 2017 to 2021, having been nominated by President Trump.

Gingrich is the author or co-author of numerous books, including works of nonfiction on American history and public policy as well as a series of alternative history novels. His published works reflect his academic background in history and his ongoing interest in military affairs, technology policy, and political strategy.

Recognition

Gingrich's most prominent honor is his selection as Time magazine's "Man of the Year" for 1995, awarded in recognition of his central role in the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives.

In September 2025, Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base awarded Gingrich an honorary degree, citing his contributions as a politician, historian, and author. The ceremony recognized his longstanding engagement with national security and military policy issues.

Gingrich has received honorary degrees from other institutions and has been a frequent invited speaker at universities, think tanks, and political conferences. His role in shaping the Contract with America and engineering the 1994 Republican congressional victory has been the subject of extensive scholarly and journalistic analysis.

Legacy

Gingrich's political legacy is defined primarily by his role in ending the Democratic Party's 40-year control of the House of Representatives. The 1994 Republican Revolution, as it came to be known, fundamentally altered the dynamics of American congressional politics and established a model for nationalized midterm campaigns organized around a unified party platform. The Contract with America remains a frequently cited example of strategic electoral messaging in American politics.

As Speaker, Gingrich's tenure is remembered for both its legislative accomplishments—particularly welfare reform and the 1997 balanced budget agreement—and for the intense partisan conflict that characterized the period, including the government shutdowns and the Clinton impeachment. His confrontational style and willingness to use procedural and institutional levers for political advantage influenced subsequent generations of Republican leaders and contributed to the more polarized political environment that developed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Gingrich's post-congressional career as a policy entrepreneur, author, and media figure has kept him in the public conversation for more than two decades after leaving office. His alignment with Donald Trump and his continued activity as a political commentator reflect his sustained influence within the Republican Party's intellectual and media ecosystems.

Critics have pointed to the ethics reprimand, the government shutdowns, and the personal controversies surrounding his marriages as significant liabilities in his political record. Supporters credit him with revitalizing the Republican Party as a legislative force and with bringing a disciplined, ideas-driven approach to conservative governance.